Mineral reclaimer and saver.



No. 790,913. PATENTED MAY 80, 1905. H. L. ORR & F. B. FINLEY.

MINERAL REOLAIMER AND SAVER.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 30,1903.

-. PUMP STATION.

156/226 ailf q W' I t fi 4/, W Y v Attorney;

UNITED STATES Patented May 30, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

' HOMER L. ORR AND FRED B. FINLEY, OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO.

MINERAL RECLAIIVIER AND SAVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0, 790,913, dated May 30,1905.

Application filed October 30, 1903. Serial No. 179,255.

To It whom 1125 777111.] concern:

Be it known that we, HOMER L. ORR and FRED B. FINLEY, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Fort Collins, in the county of Larimer andState of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Mineral Reclaimer andSaver, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mineral reclaimers and savers.

The object of the invention is in a ready, rapid, and comparativelyinexpensive man ner to reclaim and save virgin metals contained inpulverized earth and to conserve the medium employed in treating theearth.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a mineral reclaimer and saver,as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding arts, thereis illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that theelements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape,proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from thespirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in plan of a machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view in verticallongitudinal section.

The machine embodies a tank, which may be made of any suitable materialand of any ,7

size and divided by partitions 1, 2, and 3 into a series of compartments4, 5, 6, and 7. The machine of this invention is adapted to be used inconnection with oils, such as crude or refined petroleum, mineral orvirgin plied to the compartment 4 down an inclined chute 8, whence theyare deposited upon a screen 9, which operates to prevent passage oflarge lumps or masses of the earth through the apparatus and also effecteven distribution. The sides of the screen are preferably upturned toform flanges 10, which operate to prevent escape of the earth at thesides thereof.

At the end of the tank at which the compartment 4 is disposed andcommunicating therewith is a float-box 11, which is separated from thecompartment 4 by a screen 12, of reticulated or foraminous material, theobject of which is to prevent passage into the box of earthy matter, butto permit free entry thereto of the water from the compartment 4. Thisbox contains a float 13, 'w hich is a box-like structure and is adaptedto contain water, sand, or any other material which will Weight it tocause the liquid in the compartment 4 always to maintain a predeterminedlevel. Connecting with the bottom of the float is a rod 14, to the upperend of which is connected one end of a walkingbeam 15, supported uponbrackets 16 on the tank, the opposite end of the walking-beam havingconnected with it a rod 17, which projects through the bottom of thecompartment 4 and carries a valve 18 to en age with a seat 19, bolted tothe under side of the compartment 4. In order to vary the throw of therods 14 and 17, the upper end of each is provided with a series oforifices 20 to be engaged by bolts 21 to hold the rods combined with thewalking-beam, and it will be seen that by lengthening the rods by movingthe bolts toward the upper end of the series of openings the level ofthe water in the compartment 4 will be lowered and by a reverseadjustment its level will be raised. As will be obvious,when the float13 has been set at a certain level this level will always be retained incompartment 4, any excess of Water or oilpassing through the compartment4 causing the float to lift, and thus open the 9 valve 18, which willpermit the surplus liquid to escape automatically, and thus restore theliquid in the compartment 4 to its normal level.

Surrounding three sides of the compartment 4 is a trough or gutter 22,the gutter being omitted on the side of the compartment opposite thescreen 12, thus to prevent any interference with the passage of liquidto the float-box. The object of this trough or gutter is to catch anyminerals or metals that might pass down the sides of the compartment 4,and in order to permit discharge of the liquid which passes to thetrough the up per side of the bottom 23 of the latter is disposed inalinement with the lower Wall of a transverse slot 24 in the partition1.

Projecting from the partition 1 below the slot 24 is a screen 25, havingan upturned edge 26, constituting a flange, the function of this screenbeing to separate from the oil and water passing from the compartment 4any minerals or metals carried over. Arranged under the screen 25 andsuitably secured to the sides of the compartment 5 are woolen or cottonblankets 27, which subserve the function of filters for purifying theoil and catching and retaining any flour-gold or any finely-dividedmineral therein. Each of the compartments 5, 6, and 7 has a filling ofcharcoal 28, which operates still further to filter the oil andeliminate therefrom any impurities, the oil being drawn from the compartment 7 through a discharge-spout 29, which connects with a pipe-line30, leading to a suitable pump, (designated 31,) whence the oil isforced back to the machine and the various operations again repeated asdescribed.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that the partitions 1 and 3extend from the floor upward, but that the partition 2 terminates somedistance above the floor. The object of this arrangement is to cause theliquid to traverse a tortuous ath before finally escaping, the repeatedfifterings to which the liquid is subjected resulting in a still furtherpurification of the oil and the retention of any minerals presenttherein.

The float is so adjusted as to cause the level of the oil in thecompartment 4 always to be slightly above the upper edge of thepartition 1, thus securing a constant flow of the oil to the compartment5, and so on to the escape.

In operation the compartment 4 is nearly filled with water and a streamof oil is supplied thereto from the pump, and at the same time thesands, tailings, &c., from which ex traction is to be made are poured orwashed down the chute 8. The oil occludes the minerals present byattraction and carries them over and deposits them upon the blankets 27,whence they are removed in the usual manner, the oil passing on downwardthrough the charcoal filter in the compartment 5, thence upward throughthe charcoal in the compart ment 6, thence downward through the charcoal in the compartment 7, and thence out through the pipe 30. Theearthy matter, which is of no value, sinks to the bottom of the tank 4,and as the valve 18 is opened by the movement of the float 13 thisuseless ma: terial escapes along with the water to a suitable place ofdeposit.

Owing to the manner in which the oil is treated it is conserved and maybe used repeatedly, thereby cheapening the procedure and expediting theextraction of minerals.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In anapparatus of the class described, a tank divided into a plurality ofcompartments of different sizes, a screen arranged in the largercompartment, a trough arranged below the screen, a lurality ofcompartments each containing afi teringmedium and means for supplyingoil and water to the compartments, and means for causing the liquids totraverse a tortuous path therethrough.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided into aplurality of compartments of different sizes, a screen arranged in thelarger compartment, a trough arranged below the screen, a filteringmedium arranged in the adjacent compartment, and a communication betweenthe trough and the latter compartment.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided into aplurality of compartments of different sizes, each containing afiltering medium, a screen arranged in the larger compartment, a trougharranged below the screen, blankets arranged within the compartmentadjacent to the screen, and a communication between the trough and thelast-named compartment above the blankets.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank divided into aplurality of compartments of different sizes, each containing afiltering medium, a screen arranged in the larger compartment,aut0maticallyoperating means for maintaining the level of liquid withinthe tank, a trough arranged below the screen, a filtering mediumarranged adjacent to the larger compartment, and a communication betweenthe trough and the latter compartment.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOMER L. ORR. FRED B. FINLEY. Witnesses:

C. MAoKAY SM1TH,- J. F. FARRAR.

